Letters to the editor

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - Updated: 8:24 AM

Another successful Canal Days

To the editor:

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site would like to offer our sincere appreciation for all those that attended our 31st annual Canal Days. It is with great understanding that the community support we receive is a testament to the kind, considerate residents of the Mohawk Valley and greater capital region. The site would like to thank the performers Cosby Gibson & Tom Staudle for their set and music workshop, also the Nellies, Magician Jim Snack, Pip Squeaks the Clown, and returning to the Schoharie Crossing Canal Day stage, Sara Milonovich.

We would also like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to the following: The Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor, the Natural Heritage Trust, NYS Canal Corp., Alpin Haus, Parillo's Armory Grill, Girard's, and the Friends of Schoharie Crossing for their support and sponsorship of this year's event.

The site was proud to give away prizes donated by the following: Fonda Speedway, High Rollers, Dolci and Shorty's. Community organizations such as ECOS, the Girl Scouts, Schenectady Winter Sports Club, Forever Home Greyhound Adoption, Schenectady Disc Golf, Montgomery County SPCA, and many others were great to have alongside Fritzann Farms, Run By Dogs, and the Utica ZooMobile. And lastly, but certainly not least, a giant thank you to Tri-County Old Time Power for your undeniable dedication to the preservation of the past and support of our site.

To the maintenance and grounds crew, as well as the visitor center staff and volunteers, you did a wonderful job that allowed attendees to explore, learn and most of all enjoy the event.

If we neglected to mention you, it was not intentional and we apologize. There have been so many wonderful people and organizations that have contributed to making Canal Days at Schoharie Crossing a wonderful, vibrant and exciting place to be it seems overwhelming.

Once again, thank you for your support of Schoharie Crossing. For more information, call (518) 829-7516.

High school sports booster club participants should seriously consider remaining intact throughout a full calendar year and not just during the months school is in session because the district's taxpayers will not be able to single-handedly take care of the increased costs that are coming to maintain various student athletic sports programs.

As more and more realities about how serious concussions are becoming public knowledge, the demand for greatly increased protective equipment for the young players, have already resulted in substantially higher prices.

In many municipalities around the country, officials of long standing pop warner football leagues freely admit having to consider ceasing operations if more increased donations are not forthcoming to help meet rising financial obligations.

At the high school level, if sports booster clubs do not take the long term-fund raising initiatives necessary to bring in additional money above the amounts contained in yearly school budgets, then the only option left that's most feared is closing down those athletic sports activities that have become too expensive, will materialize.